Fallen Angel
by PokerGuy
Summary: Can a rising young star help an older superstar turn away from the path of self destruction?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fanfic. Read and review, and don't be afraid to be honest; I don't mind negative reviews.**

**If you are looking for a lighthearted, upbeat story, this might not be for you. It is teen rated for a reason; I have tried not to stray into the M category.**

"Are we ready to rock? On in 2 minutes," said the stage manager.

She thought about her client. "We're ready, but maybe you better at least start with lip synching. I'll monitor and let you know if we should go live." She knew that it was an open secret among audiences that a lot of the concerts these days were lip synched, but she was getting tired of the open secrets.

Then she watched her client stagger a little but make it to the mike, and face the right way, good signs these days. The dancers had long practice in helping without making it obvious, but tonight this subterfuge was not needed.

As she listened to what came through the mike rather than what the audience was hearing, she told the stage manager to go live. When sober, her client could still belt out a song with the best of them, regardless of age. When falling down drunk...well... In between like tonight, it would do, and there was merit in going live as often as possible.

She longed for the good old days, which had nothing to do with acoustic music.


	2. Chapter 2

After the concert, Lilly kept the autograph signing going for as long as she could. Not only was it good fan relations, but while Miley was signing, she couldn't drink or pop anything. _How did we come to this? Lilly asked herself. More important, how do we get OUT? Delaying things by a few minutes whenever possible isn't the answer, but WHAT?_

Actually, she was fairly certain she knew why Miley was spiraling toward self destruction. She just did not know what to do about it.

After the signing, Lilly told her, "Someone wants to meet you. He got here too late to see you before the concert. Ah, there he is."

"Oh my, you're Larry Hinton!" Miley said.

"Thank you for recognizing me," he replied. "May I say that you are even more beautiful in person than you are on stage?"

"Flatterer. How would I not recognize such a hot young star?"

"Now just who is flattering who? I'm just starting out," he said.

"I wouldn't call two hit albums 'just starting out'," she replied, thinking that she had meant a different sort of "hot".

"Well, maybe not, but you had more than that by the time you were 22."

"I got an early start," she said.

"I've heard that," he replied. "Anyway, can I take you to dinner now that your concert is over? I know a wonderful place, great food and atmosphere. Do you like French?"

"Wow," she almost tittered. "You want to take me to dinner? How could I turn that down? YES!"

Lilly shook her head in wonderment. She remembered her friend acting like that, but not since high school. Now, with a man (boy, really) more than 20 years younger than her? She had to admit that Larry Hinton was the hottest thing going though, and not just in terms of his music.

She hoped that her friend and client would not get drunk and publicly humiliate herself. Then she wondered if she wanted that more as a friend, or as a manager? She knew. Her duties as a manager were important, but not THAT important.

At dinner, Larry asked her "What do you think of my singing, Hannah? Have you listened to it? Should I call you Hannah?"

She answered, "Why not call me Miley or Miles? Hannah Montana is just my stage name, you know. And I really like your albums, I have both of them."

"Is it true that for a long time you hid the fact that Hannah was just a stage name?"

"Oh yes," she answered. "I just wanted to be an ordinary kid in school, and amazingly enough I hid that until I was out of high school."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N As I hope Chapter 2 made clear, this story is set about 30 years after the events of the TV show. Miley does seem to be having a few problems, in spite of a highly successful and lengthy singing career. Robbie Ray Stewart has retired as her manager but is still around and will show up later. The Rams are back in LA (don't know if they moved from St. Louis or if this is a new team).**

"Hey Miles, Larry here. Can we get together again? Call me when you can." She looked blearily at the machine and decided to get a little more awake before calling him back.

She wondered when he had called. Probably earlier in the morning. Well, probably in the morning, she amended, looking at the clock. How late had they stayed out? She didn't remember.

She pressed the button for the next message. Lilly's voice said "Miles, tell me everything! What's he like? Call me when you get a chance."

She went through her wake up routine, which included more vodka than she knew was good for her. Actually, she knew that no amount of vodka was a good idea this early in the day, but she was mostly beyond caring.

Later, "Lilly, he was great! He's, well, GREAT!"

"Umm, well, ok," Lilly said.

"You sound like you don't agree."

"Miley, I'm not sure what is going on here, but you do realize that he is 22, right?"

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport. Are you jealous?"

"No, I may be a lot of things, but jealous is not one of them. Good luck, I guess."

Later, she said "Hey Larry, sorry I missed you earlier."

"That's ok," he replied. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Why, nothing at all. What did you have in mind?"

"How about if I surprise you?" he answered. "Pick you up at 8, maybe?"

"That'll be fine," she said, looking at the clock. That would leave plenty of time to watch the Rams game. Before settling in to watch, she looked over the medicine cabinet selection, chose a bottle that would make her feel good, and mixed a vodka martini. Then she tuned in to hear "This is LA Rams football on the air, with Smokin' Oken bringing you the live play-by-play." He had told her that they had a good team this year, with good playoff chances.

At 8, she stumbled a little getting into his car, but managed it without falling down. "Whoa there, you ok?" Larry asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it, just lost my balance there a little. I'm ok!" she answered.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey Daddy, what would you say to a little family and friends get together this Saturday afternoon?" Miley asked. "You, me, Jackson, Lilly, Oliver, maybe?"

"Sounds like fun. Will you be bringing Larry?"

"Not much stays secret in this business, does it? Well, we haven't really been trying to keep things secret anyway. Yes, I thought that might be a good way for you two to meet."

"I'm looking forward to it then," he said.

On the way there, she asked "Excited about meeting my dad?"

"More like nervous," Larry said.

"Well, don't be. He's going to like you, I'm sure. Besides, I'm old enough that you don't need his approval."

"Agreed, but things might be easier if we had it."

After they sat around making small talk for a while, Mr. Stewart said "Hey Larry, let's go take a walk down by the beach."

Miley said "Daddy, no need to be subtle, you want to have a private talk. So have one," she said lightheartedly.

"It's hard to put anything over on her," Mr. Stewart said.

A few minutes later, as they were walking along Mr. Stewart asked "Am I to assume that you and Miley are serious about each other?"

"Yes, we are, very."

Mr. Stewart laughed a little. Larry looked puzzled. Mr. Stewart explained, "I'm not laughing at you, but at myself. I was just remembering a time when she was in 8th grade, and I tried to forbid her from going out with a ninth grader. She went anyway. Now, there's a bit more of a difference than a grade between you two, but if you are happy together, that is what counts. If you're curious, ask her about it. She'll probably have a good laugh telling you. It's the one and only time in her career that Hannah Montana has surfed a crowd."

"I agree that being happy is what counts, and we are happy."

"Larry, I'm going to ask you something, and I really do want an honest answer, whatever it is. Are you with her to help boost your own career?"

Larry answered, "Mr. Stewart, would it help any if I honestly told that was not the ONLY reason I am with her?"

"All right, I appreciate the honesty. Good luck. And you're a fellow adult, so how about if you call me Robbie Ray?"

"Thanks, Robbie Ray."

Mr. Stewart went on "How much do you know about Miley's personal life?"

"Well, I know that she is maybe doing a bit more drinking than is good for her, if that is what you are asking," Larry answered.

"Ok, I didn't want to be the one to let you know that, but I did wonder. I really am worried about her, but I don't know what to do."

"Lilly and I have talked about it too," Larry said. "We don't know what to do about it, either."

"I can tell you when it started. Knowing this might help you understand her. She's been married four times now, but I think the second one was the only one she was truly happy with. His name was Dave, and he died before their first anniversary, in a botched convenience store robbery. The downhill slide started after that."

"Oh," said Larry. "I knew one of her husbands had died, but I didn't know the details."

"It was all over the entertainment news at the time, but let's see, you would have been about three back then."

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't paying much attention."

"It's lucky for for the guys who did it that prisons have guards. That way, I can't get to them. Ready to go back?"

"Sure, let's see what the rest are up to," Larry answered.

Later on, Mr. Stewart went walking with Lilly. "How are things going?" he asked her.

"You know something, Bob?" she said. "I was skeptical about Larry in the beginning. There is the obvious age difference, and it looked like he just wanted to hook up with a superstar for his own career. I no longer see it that way. He really is good for her."

"Can't you call me Robbie Ray?" he asked.

"Bob, I grew up calling you Mr. Stewart. Be glad that I can compromise on Bob."

"All right," he said. "And I agree about Larry. I don't know if he can substitute for Dave, but maybe he can come close."

"You know something?" she said. "I think she might be drinking and popping less. It''s still happening, but somewhat less. I wish she would stop, but less is good. The last two concerts have been live, although the last one was questionable."

"Now THAT is the best news I have had for a long time. If Larry has accomplished that much, he's all right by me. Thank you for standing by her all this time, Lilly. I know there have been tough times, but you were the one thing she could always count on."

"No, not the one thing," she said. "She could always count on you, too."

"True, but then a father is supposed to be that way. Her husbands all took a vow to stand by her no matter what, but you're the one who has actually done so. And I know you have had other offers. You're considered the best manager in music. Most people know that with anyone less than you, her career would have tanked long ago."

"Bob, I'm not a manager. I'm a friend who happens to manage. There is a difference."

"I know. Thanks again."

When he had a chance to talk to Oliver, Robbie Ray said "Oliver, did you know that Miles watches every Rams game?"

"No, she never told me that."

"She does. I'm sure that's why she had this little meeting on a Saturday, so that you could be here too."

"Wow. We've kept in touch all these years, but this is the first I knew she actually watched." After a pause, he continued, "How true are the rumors about some drinking and pill popping?"

Robbie Ray replied, "You know, I would really prefer that you asked her. I don't think it is my place to say anything."

"Good point. Sorry to put you on the spot."


	5. Chapter 5

1.

"_I feel in my heart_

_The start of something new_

_Start of something new"_

Hannah and Larry sang together. Then they bowed to the audience and walked offstage.

Lilly greeted them with "That was a great joint concert. The audience loved it."

"Credit where credit is due," Miley said. "You were the one who dug out that old High School Musical duet for us to sing."

"Just doing my job."

Later, they went to a restaurant. When Miley ordered a screwdriver, Lilly did not say anything but did give her a dirty look. Miley said "Don't look at me like that, Lilly. I'm doing better."

"All right," Lilly answered. "I wasn't going to say anything, and I do agree that you are doing better."

"So do I," put in Larry. "I was really concerned there, for a while."

2.

As her private jet approached McCarren Airport for a landing, Larry said, "You know, maybe someday I'll be a big enough star for my own jet."

"Well, until then, you're welcome to this one," she replied.

"Do you like to do things for a big thrill, just for the adrenalin rush?"

"Well, I haven't, really, since I was a kid," she said.

"Well, let's be kids again. I do something every time I'm in Vegas, and it's fun."

"You do what?" she asked.

"Ride the Big Shot at the Stratosphere," he replied.

"What's that?"

"Oh, you'll find out!"

They took a limo to their own hotel, then a taxi to the Stratosphere. "Come on," Larry said, "the elevator is this way."

"Elevator?"

"Yeah, the one to the tower," he replied.

After they had walked around the observation deck looking over the city from over a thousand feet up, Larry said "Ok, it's Big Shot time!"

"AAAAHHHH" she screamed wordlessly as they rode up and down the tower that rose above the Stratosphere.

As she staggered off the ride, Larry asked "Ok, is it fun to be kid again, sometimes?"

"It's terrifying. But, yeah, fun too!"

**A/N I have been on the Big Shot at the Stratosphere in Vegas, and it is quite the experience. If it was at ground level it probably would not be much of a ride, but bouncing up and down well over one thousand feet off the ground, with nothing apparently beneath you, is "terrifying" as Miley puts it. At least it was for me.**


	6. Chapter 6

When Larry woke up, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then he noticed that Miley was gasping for breath. He shook her and said "Miley, wake up!" He shook her some more. As she continued to gasp without waking up, he decided this was serious enough for 911.

As he waited for them to arrive, he noticed a pill bottle on the nightstand. _Oh no, _he thought. He decided he better call Lilly.

"At this hour, it better be good," she murmured sleepily.

"No, it's not good," said Larry. "I just don't know how bad it is yet. Miley is here, she's having trouble breathing, and I can't wake her up. I've already called 911."

"Do you know where they're taking her?" she asked.

"No, I didn't think to ask," he said. "I found a bottle of pills on the nightstand. I don't know if she took any."

"Oh brother, I thought she had slowed down. All right, call me when you find out where they take her. I'll meet you there."

"Well, I don't think you need to do that. I can call you when I know anything," he said.

"Larry, I've told her father something, and now I'll tell you," she said. "I'm not a manager. I'm a friend who manages. I'll meet you there as her friend, not as her manager."

"All right. Speaking of her father, should we call him?"

"Yeah," she said. "I know him better than you do, so I'll take care of it."

"Thanks."

When the paramedics arrived, he showed them the bottle and said "I don't know how many she took, or even if she took any for that matter. But this was on the nightstand. I guess you guys can take it from here."

One of them said "Yes, this is typical for an overdose of these. Good work."

"Where will you take her?"

"LA General."

He called Lilly back and said "They say LA General, the emergency room I guess."

"I'll be there."

When she arrived, he told her "They say she'll be all right. They're pumping her stomach, doing tests, keeping her for observation for a while, and all those medical things, but she's ok."

She realized she had not brought her purse and said "I'm not at my most organized in the middle of the night. Can I use your cell?"

"Umm..well, I'd love to, but..."

"You left yours home too," she finished for him. "All right, I see pay phones over there." As she walked up to them, she realized she had a problem. Her change, money, credit and debit cards were all in her purse. Driver's license, too. Oh well, she would drive carefully going home. So she placed it collect.

"She'll be fine," she told Mr. Stewart.

"That's great, thanks. But why did you call collect?"

"Because I forgot my purse, and couldn't use this pay phone any other way."

"Ok, well go ahead call me collect if there is any change. Bye."

As Lilly drove them home, Larry said "You scared me, Miles."

She said "Sorry about that."

"Try not to let it happen again, ok?" said Lilly.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Larry noticed that the medicine cabinet was missing several bottles, and only had ordinary stuff, no prescriptions. He nodded approval and went to the living room where she was.

"Miles, thanks."

"For what?" she asked.

"I looked in the medicine cabinet."

"Well, you weren't the only one who was scared last night," she said.

"Well, thanks in advance for not scaring me again."

2.

Lilly listened to Miley stumble through her first song, and signaled the stage manager to go to lip synching. Larry had told her that she had thrown out her pill collection, and she believed it, but if anything Miley was back to drinking pretty heavily. She decided in the future she would go back to starting with lip synch, then go live if possible. _Oh well, _she thought, _at least you just throw up and pass out from too much alcohol, instead of dying. Come on Miley, I know it was tragic what happened to Dave, but that was 20 years ago._

3.

Lilly answered her phone. Miley said "Got a little problem, Lilly."

"What is it?"

"I had a little accident."

"How bad? Are you ok? Is everyone else ok?"

"I'm ok as in not hurt, and I hit a tree so there was no one else," said Miley. "This is embarrassing, but I need you to post my bail and pick me up."

It didn't take long for Lilly to figure what that meant. "Miles, what am I going to do with you? Ok, be there in a few."

"Call my dad for me. I would rather that he heard from you than the papparazi."

"Consider it done."

She dialed and said "Hi, Bob. I have news. It's bad but could have been a lot worse. Miley is not hurt, but she had an accident."

"Well, it's good that she didn't get hurt. I hope no one else was hurt?"

"Single vehicle, she hit a tree. Now for the rest of the story. I'm on my way to post her bail for drunk driving. Then I'll get her a lawyer and work on media damage control."

"Oh brother. All right, I'm sure you know how to handle all that."

"I'm guessing this is a papparazi alert, too," said Lilly. "And I'm sure you know how to handle that. Well, I better go get her. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

4.

"Your sentence is 90 days in the county jail, which will be suspended upon successful completion of a court approved rehab program." He banged his gavel and continued "This is off the record. I seriously considered recusing myself from this case, because I have been a big fan of yours ever since you started performing. I think I have been fair though, not giving you any special consideration or coming down on you excessively hard. As a fan, I really do want to see you back on stage instead of behind bars. I really don't want you crashing into more trees, because you might not be so lucky next time. So for me and the rest of your fans, do the rehab and put yourself back together. Ok?"

Lilly said "Judge, I think I can speak for both of us when I say thank you." Miley nodded vigorously.

When Lilly and Larry dropped her at the rehab center, she said "We'll have to concel some concerts, won't we? And don't I have a recording session coming up?"

Lilly told her "Worrying about those things is your manager's job. Your only job right now is to get well. So do that." They walked in with her to check in.

At the desk, she happened to think of something. "Do we get to watch TV here?" she asked.

"It depends," said the clerk. "Rehab sessions have priority, but we do have TV's for you."

"I hope we don't have rehab on Sunday afternoons," she said. "The Rams are in the playoffs."

"Oh yes, you get Sunday afternoons off. We have enough football fans that we have to. I wouldn't have expected you to be one, though."

"Well, it's not exactly the football," she said. "It's more like, well, long story, never mind."

"We do have one pretty strict rule about it, though," said the clerk. "No beer during it."

She laughed a little. "Makes sense. Come here, Larry, I need a hug before going on."


	8. Chapter 8

1.

When Lilly picked her up with Larry, she said "Want to know what your next gig is? Larry Hinton and Hannah Montana singing Start Of Something New in the Superbowl halftime show, that's what!"

"Wow, how did you manage that one?"

"Just doing my job," said Lilly. "I figure the three of us could fly there a few days early, and hang out with Oliver, just like in the old days. I have a new tour and CD in the works for you, too."

"You're the greatest, Lilly."

2.

As soon as her plane left the ground, the pilot said "Uh oh."

Larry turned to her and said half jokingly "I really don't like it when I hear a pilot say uh oh."

"Tower, this is flight ten eleven, declaring an emer-"

3.

"Will you have the funeral this weekend?" Oliver asked. "I'll be there, no matter what, but..."

"Oliver, I really would not want my dear Miley's ghost coming back to haunt me, and she just might do that if I made you choose between the funeral and announcing the Superbowl," Mr. Stewart broke in. "I'm planning it for Tuesday afternoon. The Truscott family is holding hers in the evening that day for the same reason. Can you make that?"

"I sure can, and thank you."

"You're welcome."

_The end._

**A/N If you prefer a happy ending, feel free to assume the next chapter is really the ending.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N If you prefer a happy ending, pretend that this chapter is the end rather than the last one.**

1.

"We've prepared a little surprise for the show," said Miley while winking at Lilly.

"Uh, surprise?" asked Lilly, looking a little worried. "What is it? Don't you think you should have told me earlier?"

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Don't worry, it's all set. Come on Larry, we're on!"

"I wish I knew what this surprise was," said Lilly to Mr. Stewart. "I don't like surprises in live performances, too much can go wrong. Have they rehearsed whatever they are up to?"

"It's not the sort of thing that needs much rehearsal," he told her. "Like she said, don't worry about it."

"_I feel in my heart_

_The start of something new_

_Start of something new"_

They sang together, then bowed in all directions as the stadium audience rose in a standing ovation. When the applause settled down, Larry pulled a small box out of his pocket, dropped to one knee and said "Miley Stewart, will you marry me?" while opening the box.

"YES!" she shouted over the renewed applause.

Off the field, Lilly greeted them with "Well, congratulations you two."

"Be happy for me Lilly. Please?"

"Miley, don't worry, I wondered about this at first, but I've come around, and I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

2.

"Ready, Hannah?" asked Larry. "This'll be just like old times."

"Hannah Montana," she said dreamily. "When was it, twelve years ago, that I last appeared as Hannah? I'm scared."

"Don't be. Audiences aren't any different now than than then."

"Lilly, this was a great idea, a joint concert for our silver anniversary."

"I still want to call it the _We told you so!_ concert," said Lilly. "The tabloids at the time said you couldn't last as a couple, then pounced all over your retirement and said you were splitting, every time Larry was in the charts and you weren't, you would supposedly split over it. Hell, the bastards will probably make this concert out to mean you'll be splitting up."

"Now, Lilly, be nice."

"These are tabloids. I'll be nice whenever they start being nice."

"Well, come on," Larry said. "It's time for Hannah Montana to make one of her rare public appearances."

_The (happy) end._


End file.
